Only Time Will Tell
by Spike868
Summary: What would’ve happened at the end of Not Fade Away when the screen went black? Who lives? Who dies? Only time will tell…
1. Chapter 1

Only Time Will Tell

Summary – What would've happened at the end of Not Fade Away when the screen went black? Did they all die? Did some of them survive? This story tells of the critical moments before the end, when Angel, Spike, Gunn and Illyria battle the demon army in the alley behind the Hyperion. Who lives? Who dies? Only time will tell…

Disclaimer – I own nothing except the idea of what happened after Not Fade Away. I don't own the characters; I don't own the original story. They belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

Authors Note – This is about my fourth or fifth fan.fic but that doesn't mean that I'm good at writing them. I can only know that for sure if I get reviews. Please feel free to review my work, but be kind because I'm not a very good writer. I hope you like the story but I will say that it will be fairly short. Maybe one or two chapters. (Keep in mind that if I can think of a way to keep it going and still be interesting, then I'll keep writing! Lol) Enjoy.

Chapter One – In the Alley

'Let's go to work.' Angel said confidently, his sword clashing with an axe held in a demon's hands. Angel kicked it down and swung again, killing two demons in the process. They fell to the ground in a slumped heap, beginning the pile of the dead and the injured from the battle.

Spike had begun battle with several demons, struggling to fight them back. _These guys are too strong_, he thought to himself. 'Angel!' He continued to fight, killing three demons instantly with a roundhouse kick that snapped their necks.

Angel didn't turn his attention away from the battle, but answered. 'What is it Spike?' he asked.

'These guys…' Spike began, punching a demon in the face between his words. 'Are too strong for us. We don't stand a chance.' Angel knocked down a row of demons with a swift swing of his sword and stepped back to where Spike, Gunn and Illyria stood, towering over the dead.

'We never had a chance.' Angel said. The others looked at him with expressions of defeat, knowing that they would soon be dead. Though for Illyria and Spike the thought had not yet sunk in. They weren't ready to die, but they could plainly see that Gunn was nearing death.

Angel swung his sword again and stepped forward to continue the battle. Illyria had already killed about seven or eight of the beasts, but still found more coming her way.

'I will break your necks and rip your heads from your bodies.' She said strongly. Spike looked at her strangely after that statement. He had just knocked a demon to the ground, but it suddenly jumped back up and took him by surprise, tackling him to the wet pavement. He struggled with it before throwing it over his head. It hit the fence behind them and fell to the ground, landing on a wooden crate. The crate broke into pieces and Spike grabbed a splinter of wood and rammed it into the creature's chest.

Meanwhile, Gunn was fighting for his life. Literally. He was bleeding from another wound, fading just as Illyria had said a little over 15 minutes earlier. It was hard to believe that after only 15 minutes that so many demons could be dead, with them still alive and fighting the hundreds of new ones running at them from down the alley. He winced in pain as a demon punched him in the side, directly hitting his wound from battling Senator Brucker's vampires.

Illyria was finally feeling the heat. She was bruised and battered, bleeding through the shreds in her trendy leather ensemble. She didn't seem to be affected by them though, fighting on until she couldn't win. That didn't come after too long. A demon rammed a sword through her stomach so that it was sticking out of her back. She groaned and doubled-over in pain. No matter how much she tugged, she couldn't get the sword out so she fought on with what little strength she had left.

Spike looked at Angel to see how he was coping, and was surprised that he was doing so well. He didn't have many fresh wounds since his brawl with Hamilton, and didn't appear to be weakened much. He was fighting strong, proving what he said about showing the Senior Partners that they don't control him. He glanced over to where Gunn was fighting off a demon who had him pinned against a wall. Since there were currently no demons fighting him, he took the liberty to run to the aid of his friend.

He ran up behind the demon and rammed a stake through its back. It disappeared into a puff of smoke and Gunn collapsed to the ground.

'Hey, Charlie boy.' Spike said, kneeling down beside him. 'Don't give up now, they haven't won this fight.' He tried to help Gunn stand, but saw a stake sticking out of his stomach.

Gunn's hand was shaking; hovering over the several wounds he had in his torso. 'I can't go on like this.' He whispered through gritted teeth.

'Come on, you can't give up. We can still win, we just need to have faith.' He looked up to see Angel take a blow to the head, then to the gut then fall to the ground. 'No…' he breathed. 'Stay here.' He jumped to his feet and ran to Angel.

He kicked the several demons crowding around Angel away, staked them all and turned his attention to Angel. He lay on his back in the alley in a puddle of water. 'Spike, what are you doing?' Angel asked weakly, looking up.

'Do I gotta save everyone around here?' he asked, pulling Angel to his feet. They looked down the alley, but the demons had stopped coming. There were a few running at them, but they were easily taken care of with a swing of a sword and a simple wooden stake. They turned around to where a few demons were battling Illyria, while one was picking on Gunn who was still sitting against the wall of the Hyperion.

'Hey!' Angel rushed to Gunn's aid, grabbing the demon and hurling it at Spike. 'Here!' The demon flew through the air and as it passed Spike he stuck the stake into its chest and it glided to the ground, falling to dust on the way. The stake clattered on the pavement. Spike ran over to Illyria and snapped a demon's neck before moving to where Gunn and Angel were sitting.

'Gunn.' Angel whispered as he noticed how unregulated his breathing was. It was clear that Gunn was dying, and would be dead in only a matter of minutes. Illyria confirmed that thought.

She stepped up to where Angel, Spike and Gunn were gathered. 'The wound is mortal. You will be dead in a few minutes.' She said confidently, remembering she had said the exact same thing to Wesley as he lay dying.

'Thankyou Illyria, I think we could tell that for ourselves.' Angel said sarcastically. Gunn smiled weakly.

'I'm sorry guys.' He said. 'I really wanted to beat them, but I guess we're gonna have to accept defeat.'

'Actually, not quite.' Angel said, kind of surprised by the demons disappearing.

'What do you mean?' Gunn asked.

'Well, we don't really know what happened, but all the demons are gone.' Spike confirmed.

Gunn was getting paler as every second passed by. 'Anything you want me to say to Wes, Fred and Cordelia?' Gunn asked.

Angel smiled thoughtfully and remembered his dear old friends. 'Tell them we love and miss them.' He replied.

'We'll be joining them soon.' Spike added. 'So we can tell them that ourselves. Angel's smile turned upside down in an instant.

'Spike, we're going to Hell remember? This is it; if we die we're going straight to Hell. There's no bypassing Heaven to get there. We've done more bad than good, and there's nothing that can save us.'

Spike looked totally beat. Angel's words cut into him like razorblades and he sunk in defeat. 'Well, I'm not ready to die yet. I don't wanna go to Hell Angel, and I'll do almost anything to keep myself out of there.'

'Spike, we can't fight it. The end will come for the both of us and we'll just have to accept it.'

'No!' Spike stepped back, angry. 'I'm not giving up. Where are those demons, I wanna tear 'em a new one!'

'Spike!' Gunn cried suddenly, using every ounce of strength he had left. 'Please, can we not do this right now.' Spike hung his head in shame and sat himself down against the wall next to Gunn. He looked into Gunn's eyes and saw a tiny twinkle.

'You're not ready to die.' He said. 'I can see it, your fight isn't over.'

'You sound like Illyria.' Gunn answered, chuckling and coughing. He covered his mouth as he coughed and when he removed his hand it was covered in blood.

'Gunn, I'm sorry.' Angel said, resting his hand on Gunn's shoulder. 'I wish things were different, but I appreciate you fighting by my side all this time.'

Spike rolled his eyes. _My God its like the whole world has gone crazy_, he thought.

'No Angel, it was my choice. I voted 'yes' back in your office; I said that I was willing to die if I was fighting for the greater good.'

'And I told you then that this was no fight for the greater good, this was a fight that we wouldn't walk out of.'

'Well guess what, we're still alive aren't we?' Spike said.

'I sense something.' Illyria piped up. 'It's coming. Closer, it will be here soon.'

Angel turned to Gunn and spoke quickly. 'Gunn, this is your time to shine. Now is the time you show the Senor Partners, along with me, Spike and Illyria that they don't own you. Remember what we came this far to do and keep fighting. You have the will to win, so do it now.' He stood up and reached his hand down for Gunn's. Gunn looked up into his eyes and extended his arm. He felt strength growing inside him that seemed to have disappeared.

'I'll fight until I die.' He declared and Angel grinned in response. Angel pulled him to his feet and patted him on the back.

'Good to have you on the team.'

Next on Angel… Who dies? It might not be who you're expecting…


	2. Chapter 2

Only Time Will Tell

Summary – Who dies when 'it' comes? Who lives? What happens to Gunn after this last battle? The end is coming, but for who? Only time will tell…

Disclaimer – I own nothing except the idea of what happened after Not Fade Away. I don't own the characters; I don't own the original story. They belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

Author's Note – Wow, my brains can play some really weird tricks on me hey? I don't know what will become of these four heroes. I don't know where this story is headed, but I do know that someone will die this chapter. At least one person, but it might not be who you expect.

Chapter Two – Lorne?

Around the corner and into the alley came five rather large and ugly looking cloaked creatures. Their faces were not visible and they were each about seven feet tall.

'Is this what you saw coming?' Spike turned to Illyria. 'I've taken on bigger things than that.'

'Spike, I don't think now is the time for gloating.' Angel said.

'Let's just kill these things already.' Gunn stepped forward, into the alley. He picked up the sword from one of the demons. Preparing himself for attack, he ran forward and jumped at the lead cloaked creature. With a wave of one arm it knocked him across the alley and into the wall of the Wolfram and Hart building; or at least what was left of it.

'Gunn!' Angel yelled. He watched in horror as the creatures moved swiftly towards them, gliding across the wet pavement. The rain had died down but it was still lightly sprinkling. Angel raised his sword in defence, and Spike and Illyria prepared themselves for attack in a similar way. Illyria stood there, her gaze focussed on the creatures. Spike took an axe from one of the piles of dust lying near his feet and raised it as a guard.

'Charge!' someone yelled suddenly. Lorne. It seemed that he hadn't given up on his and the gang's relationship yet.

'Lorne?' Angel said, surprised. Out of nowhere came a rise of men. Were they men, or were they vampires? Vampires; Angel could tell by their smell. Lorne allowed the vamps to attack the creatures, keeping them busy while he hurried over to his friends.

'You told us you weren't coming.' Spike said, shocked.

'I wasn't, not until I had backup. I knew we couldn't' win this fight on our own, so I got help. It took a bit of persuading, but I got some friendly vampires to help.'

'Friendly vampires?' Angel asked suspiciously. 'Is that possible, I mean, besides us?' he gestured to Spike and himself.

'Well, I had to use my voice as persuasion. I never knew how much people loved to hear me sing.' He beamed.

'Well, it's good to have you here. I thought we'd never see you again.' Angel said, hugging Lorne (in the most manly way possible). His brown overcoat was sopping wet, but underneath Lorne was warm.

'We'll it's good to see you again too Angel cakes. I mean, when I told you that I wouldn't be seeing you after my rendezvous with Lindsey, I thought that I was serious. But after some serious thinking and some serious drinking I decided that I couldn't turn my back on an old friend. Especially someone as old as you Angel.' Lorne's speech was touching to Angel, and he absorbed every word and thought about it for a moment.

'Thanks Lorne, it's good to know that you're back on the team. But I can't help wondering where you found all these vampires. I mean, where can they all hang out?'

'Well, there's a new karaoke bar down the street and when I sung there all the creatures of the night were suddenly willing to help me. Only if I sung for them again.' Angel smiled. 'Which I did. So they called all their buddies and then they called all _their_ buddies and suddenly I had an army on my hands. As you can see, at least a hundred and fifty strong. Nice work for a green demon with horns, hey?' Lorne laughed off the situation and suddenly noticed Gunn.

He brushed past Angel and Spike and rushed to Gunn's side. He lay on the pavement at the base of what was left of the Wolfram and Hart building, bleeding and slowly dying. Again.

'Lorne?' Gunn whispered, looking up from where he lay against the base of the wall.

'Yeah it's me Charles.' Lorne said. 'Man, what happened to you? You're pretty beaten up.'

'Battled the beasts of Hell. Did you think I was gonna survive that? I knew when I started that I was gonna die by the time the night was through.' Gunn tried to pull himself up into a sitting position against the wall.

Angel, Spike and Illyria gathered loosely around Gunn and Lorne. Illyria stood furthest back from Gunn, fearing that another close to her would die.

'Gunn...' Angel began.

Gun raised a hand to silence him. 'No Angel, it's alright. I've fought my fair share. I've won my battles over the years. Personal too. And once in every man's life comes the battle he can't win. This is the battle I was meant to lose in. I'm sorry Angel, but this is it.'

'No Gunn, I don't want you to take the fall for this. This was never _your_ fight. This was always a team fight, and if the team fights then the team will fall. No 'one' person is going to take the fall for all this.'

'And what of Wesley then?' Illyria piped up. 'Was he not part of this team? He fell, yet the team is still strong.'

'Wesley…' Angel started. 'Wesley's no different to any of us except that he died by ways we couldn't stop. His job was to kill a member of the Black Thorn, and he did his job. Unfortunately, he didn't make it out. Now I don't know the details, but I'd say that Wesley's fight wasn't just for our team, but as a personal fight. For Fred. Even though he was a part of this team and he fell, that doesn't mean that the team can't fight on.'

'Then what of Gunn? Shall he die also, like Wesley?' Illyria continued.

'Illyria, please. There is a simple idea here: team. The team is all that we need to be worried about. And the Senior Partners, because if they have anything more to do with this fight, which they will, then it's only a matter of time before we're all dead.'

'The team fights together, the team falls together…' Spike murmured. Angel turned to him and nodded.

'Sorry to be the bearer of bad news guys, but this is it. This team; it will fall. I'm sorry to bring you this far only to tell you that you're going to die, but I figured you all knew it in the beginning.'

'Yeah Angel, and that's what we signed up for.' Spike said. 'To die. And not just to die, but to die for a cause. That's what we're doing, right?'

'Exactly right Spike. And we're going to die here in this alley. Tonight.'

Next on Angel… The death you've all been waiting for. Wait no longer, I say. Know who it's going to be yet? Come on, take a guess.


	3. Chapter 3

Only Time Will Tell

Summary – Who dies when 'it' comes? Who lives? Lorne has returned, but what will become of him? And what of Gunn? The end is coming, but for who? Only time will tell…

Disclaimer – I own nothing except the idea of what happened after Not Fade Away. I don't own the characters; I don't own the original story. They belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Darn…

Author's Note: So here is chapter three. You like? I'm trying to decide what to do with the characters now. I think I understand how hard it must have been for the writers of Angel to have to keep coming up with storylines, conversations between characters and all the actions and stuff. It's time-consuming and not to mention hard to settle on one idea. So anyway, enough of my talking. Please read and review.

Chapter Three – The End Has Come

'Angel, are you serious about the Senior Partners. Can they really throw anything else at us? There really isn't anything else left to throw.' Spike said.

'I'm serious Spike. And yeah, there is more that they can throw at us.'

'You are joking, right?' Lorne piped up as he supported Gunn's weight to carry him off to a safer place.

'No, sorry Lorne. The Senior Partners only gave us a variation of what they call Hell. The beasts we fought are nothing compared to what we'll be up against if they open the gates of Hell to the darkest and most evil creatures that ever walked the Earth. As much as I don't want you guys to be here when that happens, we've come too far to turn back now. We all made a promise to fight this fight, and that's what we'll do.' Angel paused and examined everyone's expressions. 'Are you ready?'

Spike again was the first to respond. 'Yeah, couldn't be any readier.'

Next, Illyria. 'I told you I would fight by your side Angel. And I told you that I wanted revenge for Wesley's death.'

'Wesley's dead?' Lorne asked. Angel nodded solemnly. 'Well then, I guess I'm in. I don't really have a choice now, do I?'

'You've always got a choice.' Angel said. 'Always. But what about your vampire army? We'll need them to fight.'

Lorne turned back to face his army in the alley. 'Are you fellas up for another song, or are you willing to fight with us _without_ persuasion?' he shouted. His response was a mix of screaming and war cries. 'Okay, a song it is then!' He tried so hard to on a happy face, but he couldn't. He began to sing, _"I will survive" _at the top of his lungs, which brought the Senior Partners to open the gates of Hell and unleash their wrath on the champions who opposed them. Distant screams could be heard and all the remaining Angel gang felt the pressure and heat as the forces of darkness approached.

'This fight isn't over yet.' Gunn said bravely, climbing to his feet. 'Even though my body may be ready to die, and God knows it is, I won't give up until we fall as one. A team. Just as you said Angel.' He had proved his faith and trust to Angel.

'Thanks Gunn.' Angel said. 'So we're ready?' Everyone nodded in response, although each was not sure if they were _really_ ready. Lorne's army of vampires was prepared to fight until their un-death and so were Spike and Angel. Illyria, Gunn and Lorne knew what they were getting themselves into when they signed up for it, and were no longer afraid of dying. Lorne was slightly afraid, but didn't dare let it show.

As the screams became louder and more high-pitched, the heat could well and truly be felt. Angel and Spike felt it more than any of the others, and had to hold their chests to stop the pain.

'Angel?' Spike cried as the beasts appeared at the opening to the alley. They stopped and stood their guard, waiting for the enemy to attack.

'What is it Spike?' He didn't take his eyes off the beasts for a second. Even though all he could see in the dark was the red of their eyes, he didn't dare to let his guard down. That is when they would attack.

'Do you feel that?' he began as he wheezed and whimpered.

'Yeah.' When he heard Spike he dropped his guard and turned to face him. 'Hey! Don't let it beat you!' He shouted. A battle cry came from the other end of the alley.

Spike fought the pain in his chest and looked up. 'Oh god…' he moaned. He straightened himself up and raised his sword.

'Ready guys? This is it. This is the moment we've been fighting for all this time.' Angel said.

'God Angel, this is really it isn't it?' Spike asked, stepping forward to be level with Angel.

'Yeah.' They looked down the alley as the beasts rushed at them. A familiar sight, but not one that they wanted to see again in their lifetime. Let alone in the same night.

'Let's go out fighting, hey?' Lorne offered trying to be strong. 'Don't stop until you're dead.' The others all looked his direction for a split second in expressions of disbelief that something that bold could come out of Lorne's mouth.

'Sure. Sounds like fun.' Spike said sarcastically as he stepped backwards, almost cowering away from the fight. He wasn't, he was just finishing his statement. 'I'm all for fun.'

'Alright, let's go!' Angel shouted, raising his sword to begin the battle for the second time that night.

Angel battled beast after beast. All large, ugly looking things with either slimy or scaly skin and most with horns. Some carried weapons; some had built-in weapons of their own like claws and teeth. Within moments Angel was matched by a beast slightly larger than the rest. He was picked up by the collar of his coat, thrown off to the side like a discarded cigarette. As he slammed into a wall he dropped his weapon and was left vulnerable. He fell to the ground in a heap and strained to get up. The beast who threw him strolled over casually, all other beasts running for either Spike, Gunn, Illyria or Lorne. He was alone.

Gunn and Lorne were furthest back in the alley, only catching the beasts that ran past Spike and Illyria, who were in between them and Angel.

'Die you bastards!' Gunn shouted as he forcefully stabbed each beast that approached him. Lorne did the same and thanks to Spike and Illyria, only about thirty beasts got past.

Spike was beginning to feel weak. The pain in his chest was still getting to him and he wondered how Angel managed to ignore it. Then he saw Angel alone at the side of the alley with a beast that had strayed.

'Illyria!' he shouted. 'Cover me!' Illyria killed two beasts with one quick roundhouse kick and responded to Spike instantly. She grabbed a sword and a battleaxe and fought back as many as she could. Spike ran forward and over to his sire. He fought of at least ten beasts on his way over, killing them all instantly.

He watched Angel be picked up by the beast and pinned against the wall. It then skewered him with his own sword and looked him in the eye. Spike snuck up behind the beasts' back and raised his sword.

'It was nice knowing you Angelus.' The beast whispered, making Angel's expression a mix of fear and worry.

_How does it know me_? He thought. Then it punched him square in the face and reached into a pocket in the large coat it was wearing. He heard Spike come up behind him and moved out of the way just in time so that instead of stabbing the beast he stabbed Angel in the stomach. He groaned and cried out in pain, now with two sword sticking out of his torso.

'Spike.' He coughed. 'What the…' he paused as he tried not to double over in pain.

'Oh God. Sorry Angel.' He looked down at his sire who was inching his way to the ground.

'Behind you...' Angel tried to point but it was too late. The beast forced his elbow into Spike's back and he fell forward, hit the wall then crashed to the pavement beside Angel. His nose had begun to bleed.

'Sorry Angel, I gotta do this.' Spike said as he rolled out of the way of a punch aimed at his head. 'This in gonna hurt.' He reached for one of the swords and yanked it out.

'Aagh!' Angel screamed in agony as he felt blood rushing from the wound. Spike turned around and speared the sword right through the beast's chest. It slumped to the ground in a heap and Spike turned his attention back to Angel.

'I have to get you out of here.' He said.

'No. We need to keep fighting. Pull it out.' He gestured to the other sword sticking out of his stomach. Spike took hold of the handle and pulled it out, resulting in Angel screaming in pain again. Spike grabbed his shoulders and pulled him forward so he could get behind Angel and drag him away. Angel coughed and spluttered, half choking on blood.

'Come on Angel, help me out here.' Spike said as he dragged Angel behind a dumpster and a bunch of crates. Angel tried to stand, but couldn't. He leaned forward and spat out a mouthful of blood.

'Spike, just go. The others need help. I'll be fine here until I can gather enough strength to come back out and fight.'

'Angel…'

'Spike, I'm not stupid. I know when I don't have the energy to do something, but I know that I have the energy inside me somewhere. Just give me a little time.'

'Time is something we don't have mate. If I go back out there…' he paused. 'You won't see me again.' Spike's expression was serious. He looked his sire in the eyes as he spoke.

'I know. Just go Spike.' Angel gently pushed him away, telling him to return to the fight. Spike sighed.

'Goodbye Angel.'

'Goodbye Spike.'

Spike disappeared around the dumpster and grabbed his sword from out of the beasts chest as he ran past. He slayed a half a dozen beasts as he returned to his post with Illyria. Angel watched from behind the dumpster as his friends battled for their lives.

Spike quickly got back into the fight, helping out Illyria as the beasts kept coming.

'These things just don't quit do they?' he cried. 'Die!' He stabbed a beast in the chest and let it fall to the ground.

Lorne and Gunn were doing surprisingly well, but then again, they were at the back. Illyria seemed to be able to take care of herself and had successfully battled at least a hundred beasts. Lorne's army of vampires was weakening, and was down ninety to one hundred and fifty.

Angel watched from behind the safety of the dumpster as Spike battled the many demons that came towards him. He killed dozens, leaving only their carcasses to rot in the alley. In shock, horror and disbelief, Angel watched as a beast ran towards Spike as he had his back turned. It was carrying a garden shovel, with the wooden end pointed at Spike.

'No!' Angel shouted as it forced the shovel through Spike's back, aiming for his heart. As he spun around to face the demon he turned to dust. Spike was gone.

Next chapter… the aftermath. What happens to those who are left? And Spike's death, never what it seemed.


	4. Chapter 4

Only Time Will Tell

Summary – Who dies when 'it' comes? Who lives? Is Spike really dead? Who else will die? The end is coming, but for who? Only time will tell…

Disclaimer – I own nothing except the idea of what happened after Not Fade Away. I don't own the characters; I don't own the original story. They belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I am just borrowing them temporarily.

Author's Note: Spike is dead! No! I hear you shout. Well my fellow Spike lovers, not all is as it seems. Read on and please review!

Chapter Four – Just Dreaming

Angel sat behind the dumpster taking deep breaths, even though he didn't need to. He stared out into the alley where Spike had stood only moments before, thinking about him. He never really pictured himself losing Spike and caring much, but it hurt him somewhere deep inside. He missed Spike.

His vision suddenly began to blur and morphed slightly, and when he was able to see clearly again he saw Spike. He was battling still in the alley, as if what had just happened never actually happened.

Angel forced himself to his feet, trying to use the wall to push himself up. He staggered out into the alley, grabbing the sword he'd had stuck in his torso, that was now lying on the ground, as a weapon. He swung feebly at some beasts, luckily catching Spike's attention.

'Angel!' he shouted. 'Get out of here! What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't fight like that!' The others all looked Angel's direction, seeing him bleeding from the two holes in his stomach caused by the swords, hunching over in pain.

'Spike you're dead!' Angel shouted. Spike was shocked.

'Excuse me?' He shouted back, slicing a demon down the shoulder and into its body.

'I saw you die!' Angel shouted at him again.

'No you didn't! You must have been hallucinating! Go back and hide before you…' he stopped as he saw a beast come running up behind Angel carrying a stake. The look on its face was nothing less than evil and twisted, as it wanted to kill Angel.

Spike ran forward, startling Angel. He grabbed Angel's shoulders and pushed him to the side just in time as the beast forced the stake forward. It sunk into Spike's chest, and he turned to face Angel.

His expression was of shock, fear, and confusion as he fell to dust. Angel stared as his century-old companion drifted to the ground.

'No!' he shouted. 'Spike!' He sunk to his knees, staring blankly into space, completely ignoring everything that was happening around him.

When he snapped out of his trance, he noticed a beast take a swipe at Gunn. It's sword sliced through his shoulder and down into his torso, slicing him almost in half. He collapsed to the ground, just as Lorne caught site of the attack.

'Gunn!' Angel screamed over the noise of swords clashing and demons screaming.

'Aagh! Oh God!' Lorne stumbled backwards, completely forgetting the battle. As he stumbled, he tripped over a body and fell to the ground. A beast rammed a sword into his chest, and Angel watched as another one of his team fell.

_God!_ He thought. _How can we all be dying so quickly and so suddenly?_ He scanned the alley for Illyria. She was standing on a dumpster, kicking at several beasts' heads trying to protect herself.

'Illyria!' Angel shouted.

'Angel! You said we would fall as a team, and now we are falling.' She stated. Angel weakly forced his way past some beasts and slumped beside the dumpster. He caught the eye of one of the beasts, who came his way.

'Illyria…' he called. Illyria swung her sword and sliced off the beast's head. Angel looked up at her and smiled, only to see another sword come out of nowhere and cut across her neck. Her head was not severed, but her neck was cut enough for her to bleed to death quickly. She dropped to the pavement, half landing on Angel's lap beside the dumpster.

'Angel.' She whispered as the beasts crowded around.

'Illyria.' She died in his arms, her blood covering his hands. They began to shake as he watched the beasts move in.

'Die Angelus!' One shouted, suddenly rushing forward and leaning out with a stake. Regretting his sudden, choice, Angel raised Illyria's body to take the force of the stake. It sunk into her chest, and she was forced back into him. He fell backwards, into the wall, hitting his head.

'Aagh!' he cried out in pain. He looked up again to see the beasts towering over him, their swords all raised. 'Alright guys, you wanna do it like this?' he said challengingly. He forced himself to his feet, grabbed Illyria's dropped sword and swung it in a single quick swift movement. He caught one beast by surprise, but the others attacked quickly.

He was the last one left. And with the help of a sword, he was made the last to die also. A beast swung its sword promptly after Angel and sliced across his neck, cutting his head clean off.

He screamed so loudly, feeling himself turning to dust alone in the alley. As he screamed in the pain of dying, he felt a strange sensation.

_What the hell?_ He looked up, around the side of the dumpster. There was Spike, Illyria, Lorne and Gunn still fighting their hardest. He looked down at his stomach, seeing the two holes in himself. He took a few deep breaths, trying to take in what he had just witnessed.

'What the hell?' he said to himself aloud. He had just felt himself die, and seen all his friends die. He'd seen Spike die twice, right in front of his eyes. _I must be hallucinating_. He thought.

Trying to calm himself down, he watched Gunn fight. He knew his good friend wouldn't last much longer, and he could already see him beginning to let go.

'Come on Gunn, just a little longer.' He whispered to himself. He watched as Gunn gave up the fight for his life. He took a swipe at a beast, killing it. Then he just stood there, still on the spot for a moment. He wobbled then collapsed to the ground. Angel watched his eyes close on the way down, and knew his friend was dead. 'Goodbye Gunn.' He whispered.

He turned his attention to Lorne, surprised that he was able to hold out for so long. He briefly watched Illyria, who was winning all her fights with only a few fresh scratches in his leather suit. Spike, strange as it seemed to Angel, was still fighting away in the middle of the alley.

He turned to look down the alley, away from the fight. Nothing more was coming.

_This can't be it_. He thought. _We aren't dead, so why are they stopping?_ The three remaining champions finished off the last of the beasts, leaving just them and Angel as the only live things in the alley.

Spike rushed back over to the dumpster to check on Angel, who despite his hallucinations, was feeling a bit better.

'You alright mate?' Spike asked.

'I thought you were dead.' Angel whispered, trying to get up. He managed to stand, though he was shaky on his feet. Lorne and Illyria wandered over to see how Angel was, only to see him in very bad shape.

'Angel, you're pretty knocked up.' Lorne stated.

'Yeah, I don't feel all that good either.' He replied, coughing. 'Where'd everything go?' he scanned the alley, seeing only dead bodies.

'Dunno Angel. Everything just died down a bit a few minutes ago.' Spike said.

'Last time this happened, there wasn't quiet for five minutes before the next round came. This isn't over yet.' Angel declared.

'But Angel, you're in no shape to keep fighting.' Lorne said.

'I know, but I don't have a choice. We don't have a choice. The end is coming and we can't stop it. All we can do is prolong it, which isn't worth the fight.'

'Angel, I'm not giving up yet.' Lorne said. 'I came back to fight with you to win this, now I find out that you've signed us a death wish? What happened to you?'

'What the hell are you talking about? I didn't sign us a death wish, and I didn't tell you that you had to come back either. That was your choice, remember?'

'Yeah I know, but I came back because I couldn't live with myself knowing that I had let you die without me fighting by your side. I couldn't do that, so I came back. But I don't want to die here tonight Angel, I can't.'

'For god's sake Lorne, didn't you hear my speech earlier. We're here to die. This fight, it's going to be our last. We've already lost Gunn, and we're soon going to have the same fate as him. I told you that we would fight as a team and fall as a team, and now we're doing that. Lorne, you can't seriously want to keep living knowing that the Senior Partners will be after you for partnering with me?'

'Yes, I do want to keep living. But then again, I don't.'

'Stop your bickering. There are more important things to be worrying about at the present time.' Illyria snapped. Angel and Lorne stopped and instantly looked her direction.

Suddenly, above their heads there was a faint rumbling. It got louder, slowly, then suddenly there was a deafening BANG. Everyone had to cover their ears as the rumbling continued, so loud that they thought their eardrums would burst. A bright flash of light drew their attention, and the four remaining champions looked up to the sky. The ground shook, and they all fell down.

'This isn't good, is it?' Lorne asked.

Next on Angel… The end has finally come. But for who?


	5. Chapter 5

Only Time Will Tell

Summary – The battle has been fought. Twice. Now the end has come, but for who? Only time will tell…

Disclaimer – I own nothing except the idea of what happened after Not Fade Away. I don't own the characters; I don't own the original story. They belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I am just borrowing them temporarily.

Author's Note: Spike is dead! No! I hear you shout. Well my fellow Spike lovers, not all is as it seems. Read on and please review!

Chapter Five – Not Afraid of Death

The rumbling continued, as the sky flashed with a bright white light. It was almost like a horrifying storm with thunder and lightning, but Angel, Spike, Lorne and Illyria all knew that it wasn't.

'Angel, what do you suppose we do now?' Spike asked, trying to stand up as the ground continued to shake.

'I don't know. Wait and see what's coming first, then we'll decide what to do.' Angel replied, steadying himself using a wall. He was beginning to get over his injuries, but he knew that it would take him days to fully recover.

'Fine, but whatever it is better hurry up.' Spike cursed, just as another brilliant flash of light appeared. A crackling behind them caught their attention, and they all spun around to discover an orange and red sphere forming in the middle of the alley.

'Oh God…' Angel moaned.

'Oh God what? Oh God what?' Spike asked, sounding worried as he watched in horror.

'It's Hell.' Angel said. 'They're unleashing the worst demons from Hell, sending them after us.'

'Oh God.' Spike repeated.

'We will break their necks and slice off their heads, like we did with the last round of beasts.' Illyria said.

'I'm afraid it's not that simple Illyria.' Lorne said.

'Is this really it Angel?' Spike asked, on edge.

'Oh come on Spike, do you really have to ask me that? Can't you feel it? Of course this is it!' Angel snapped.

'We're going to die now?' Lorne asked. Spike turned to him and nodded. As they watched the sphere get bigger and brighter, they took their places again.

'Move back.' Angel ordered, inching the team back further into the alley. Spike barged down a wire fence and continued to move backwards. Angel forced the fence back up after they'd gone through, trying to protect them.

'Angel, how long are we going to keep this up?' Spike asked.

'Not much longer Spike. We'll be gone soon, right we're they're coming from.' He pointed to the now fiery red ball hovering in the alley on the other side of the fence.

'I don't know if I'm ready to face Hell.' Spike told his grand-sire.

'Well get ready, unless you plan to beat back all the beasts that are coming out. You can't kill them all Spike, and eventually they'll kill you.'

'You're being a bit pessimistic aren't you?' Spike forced out a nervous laugh.

'No Spike.' Angel replied in a serious tone. 'I'm telling you the truth. It's better that you know what you're up against.'

'And how do you know?' Spike asked angrily.

'I spend a hundred years in the same Hell dimension as most of them. I _know_ what we're up against and trust me when I tell you it's not good.'

'Then why are we still fighting?' Illyria asked suddenly.

'What do you mean? We started this, we can't just run away.' Angel snapped back.

'We wouldn't be running away. We would be saving ourselves so that we could save humanity. Isn't that what you fight for?' she cocked her head to the side.

'Illyria, we can't just run away. We've come too far. This is it; this is the moment when we shine. We show the Senior Partners that we rule ourselves and that they have no control. It's up to us, right now, to finish this.'

'Angel, they're going to finish us!' Spike yelled as the beasts began pouring out into the alley.

'God this is it.' Lorne moaned.

'Let's go to work.' Angel said for the second time in the same night, running forward and forcing all his strength against the beasts from Hell.

He was right. It was the end of all of them. It was the night that they all fell, but not as individuals. As the team that Angel told them they were, and the team who knew it deep down in their hearts that they belonged fighting together. Even though they had lost some of the team, they knew that they had to keep fighting. They just didn't want to die. As Angel had said earlier; "as a team we will fight, as a team we will fall."

Lorne was the first down, as Spike, Angel and Illyria fought helplessly against single demons. None of them saw Lorne's defeat, only heard his scream. The blood-curdling scream that sent shivers up and down their spines.

_Man, Lorne has some voice_. Spike thought.

Illyria was next to fall. The demon she was battling overpowered her and snapped her like a twig. Her crumpled body lay in the alley, bent out of shape. It was just Spike and Angel left.

'Bloody hell Angel!' Spike yelled as he finally overpowered the demon he was fighting and snapped its neck. It fell to the ground at his feet and he began battling the next one. The beasts were relentless fighters who didn't give up. They had learnt to survive in Hell for only God knows how long, and we fully capable of winning a fight.

Angel saw over the shoulder of the demon he was fighting, another demon running up holding two stakes.

'Spike! He's got stakes!' Angel shouted over the yelling and grunting of demons who fought to get a piece of the two remaining warriors.

'I don't want to die again Angel!' Spike yelled, pleading with Angel. He'd died many times, all to save humanity. He just couldn't do it again.

'I'm sorry Spike.' Angel yelled as he managed to move closer to Spike when they had both killed their demons at the same time.

'Sorry for what?' Spike asked.

'I'm sorry for everything. In all our years together, I've never condemned you to Hell. I'm sorry Spike.'

'Angel, don't worry about it. Now that I think about it, I was destined to die. Everyone is. We can't just stop ourselves from dying, 'cos it's gonna happen. All we can do is hold onto what's left and live as best we can.' He snapped the neck of another demon and turned to face Angel, who did the same moments later.

'Spike, I'm sorry.' Angel said again, as he looked into Spike's eyes. Without realising it, they had shared an intimate moment before their death. All those times they'd had the chance to; they never felt bold enough to actually do something. Spike smiled at his sire and Angel smiled back. Spike watched in horror as a stake was rammed into sire's chest, and he fell to dust. The smile was still on his face, a big grin stretching from ear to ear.

Spike just stood there, awaiting his fate. He hated himself and Angel, _just a little bit_ for not being able to live and see Buffy again, but he also was glad that he'd finally be able to be with someone who cared about him. He had longed for such a person for so long. As he pictured Angel in his mind, he felt himself turning to dust.

The smile still remained on his face; a big grin, just like Angel's.

A/N: Sniff. That's it guys. I know it doesn't really fit, but I just felt like I had to end it. I'm sorry to anyone who was wanting more, but that's all I wanted to do with Spike and Angel so there was no point in me continuing. Well, I hope you liked it and watch out for my other FanFiction pieces. Please review my work and tell me what you think! And if you think there should be more to it, then tell me what exactly you're looking for and I can alter the ending and maybe add another chapter! Thanks for reading guys!

Feedback: Thanks to all the people who reviewed this, and I tried to do something Spangel in there. Hope you're all happy.

(everyone dies like in _Time Bomb_ (Angel s.5) and it is all just a dream Angel had while behind the dumpster. Spike _is_ alive and that was a dream that he died. Everyone lives again in the next chapter, then Gunn dies. Followed by Lorne, then Illyria, and finally Spike and Angel. Unknown who goes first. Think carefully about it considering who would be affected most by the death. Probably Angel first so we could read and hear about Spike's true feelings for Angel, then he stakes himself being the last one left standing in the alley. After writing about his thoughts on being the only survivor. He calls Buffy, tell her he's alive then kills himself.)


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